Space Bound
Encyclopedia
"Space Bound" is a song by American rapper Eminem
from his seventh studio album, Recovery. In February 2011, "Space Bound" was announced to be released as the fourth single from Recovery. The song is produced by American hip-hop producer Jim Jonsin
. "Space Bound" features interpolations of "Drive
" by R.E.M.
and "Song for Bob" by Nick Cave
and Warren Ellis
.
The music video was shot in February 2011 by director Joseph Kahn
. It features model and former pornographic actress Sasha Grey
. The video was released to the iTunes Store
on June 24, 2011. It is about a couple in which the girlfriend, played by Grey, is secretly cheating on her boyfriend, Eminem. This turns into a violent conflict. The video shows two sides of Eminem, one who is calm and loves his girlfriend and one who is aggressive and doesn't. The music video received attention for a scene in which Eminem shoots himself in the head in frustration, with blood spurting from the wound.
, and Jim Jonsin
, the latter having produced the track with keyboards from Danny Morris. The chorus is sung by McEwan, who also provided guitars. The song was recorded by Robert Marks in Parkland Playhouse and Mike Strange and Joe Strange in Effigy Studios. It was mixed by Eminem, Mike Strange and Marks. In July of 2011, producer Jim Jonsin spoke about the making of the song and how its production came to be. He submitted a beat to Eminem for release on Recovery, not knowing if it was planned for official release as a single.
The song was complete with verses, b-section, and a chorus by McEwan. Most of the original version was recorded in New York on guitar, with a guitar vocal on an iPhone
. The concept was taken to Miami about three months later and was produced. The song was composed by McEwan and Jonsin. The chorus was used as a guide for writing the rapped verses. Eminem liked the song and its concept and wanted the sung verses removed and replaced with his own lyrics. "He had me strip down the verses [...] and make the track a little more hip hop, and he sent it out. I didn't really believe that it would end up on Eminem's album, let alone be a single." Jonsin spoke about the theme of the chorus in "Space Bound":
According to Jonsin, the hardest part of the making of the song was getting it to Eminem. Jonsin's manager suggested it get sent to Eminem, but was concerned that Eminem would not do anything with it. Jonsin also confirmed in the interview that he would be working on Eminem's next solo album.
song with influences of rock music
. It features an interpolation of "Drive
" by R.E.M.
and "Song for Bob" by Nick Cave
and Warren Ellis
. The guitars were provided by Steve McEwan and additional keyboards were by Danny Morris. The song begins with a very short acoustic guitar
introduction, with Eminem beginning his verse right away. "We touch, I feel a rush/We clutch it isn't much/but it's enough to make me wonder what's in store for us." A few lines into the verse, the drum
s start playing, when he says "Nobody knows me, I'm cold/Walked down this road all alone." The keyboards gain and eventually the chorus
plays, which is performed by Steve McEwan.
This structure is repeated for the next verse and chorus. Near the end of the third verse, Eminem shows aggression with lyrics suggesting domestic violence
, "I put both hands on your throat. I sit on top of you squeezing/'till I snap your neck like a Popsicle
stick, ain't a possible reason..." Right at the end of the verse, a gunshot
is heard and Eminem sings the bridge
, which shows grief and sorrow, "And I would've did anything for you/To show you how much I adored you." The chorus plays once more to end the song. Some lyrics are replaced this time; "And I'm aiming right at you, right at you" is replaced with "And I'm so lost without you, without you." The song ends here after the chorus. The full song is four and a half minutes long.
Slant Magazine
gave a negative review on Recovery as a whole and disliked "Space Bound". "Eminem can't talk to women and he never could, so when he threatens to strangle anyone who leaves him, the peril feels forced and wholly off-putting." AbsolutePunk writer Thomas Nassiff, in his review for Recovery, stated that "Space Bound", along with five other songs, were "pure filler" and "don't require more than one listen."
, California
, and produced over approximately five months. The video was directed by Kahn, who previously directed Eminem's videos for "Without Me
", "We Made You
" and "Love the Way You Lie
". Photos of the video shooting were released and two low quality snippets of the then-unfinished video leaked. A large portion of the music video was shot at a roadside diner
. On June 18, 2011, Kahn tweeted that the "Space Bound" video was finally complete and was to be released soon. The same day, Kahn tweeted,"When you see Space Bound, look for the uncensored version. You'll ruin it for yourself if you don't," confirming an uncensored version. Grey spoke about her acting and role in the video. "Before each take, Joseph and I would talk a lot about [my character's] motives and attitude. Her ultimate moment doesn't come until the end, so I had plenty of time to build the fear!" The music video stars Grey as the girlfriend of Eminem.
The full "Space Bound" video was released on June 24, 2011 at 5 PM EST for purchase on the iTunes Store
, uncut. This same version later premiered on the music video website VEVO
and YouTube
on Monday, June 27 at 12 AM PST. A heavily censored version of the music video premiered on television in the UK on MTV Rocks, on July 1, 2011, at 07:12 AM. As of four days after "Space Bound"'s VEVO premiere, the music video has more than 4 million views.
. Shortly after, he gets picked up by his girlfriend (Grey). At this point, when Eminem gets into the car, there are two of him; there is one alone in the back seat, who is frustrated, paranoid and "hurling insults at Grey", and one sitting in the car next to Grey who is quiet, calm and in love. Grey takes out a lighter and cigarette to have a smoke. Shortly, the alternate Eminem disappears and the couple stop at a motel
/diner.
Eminem 'splits' into two once again as he enters the diner. This is done with the screen splitting midway. The original Eminem goes to sit with Grey in a table, while the other goes to sit on a bar stool. While the original Eminem and Grey are seated, Grey takes out her cell phone from her purse and sends a text message to an unknown person. She puts back the phone as she leaves to go to the restroom. While Grey is gone, Eminem curiously takes out Grey's phone to see what she did on it, leaving him in confusion. He quickly puts the phone back as Grey comes back. Meanwhile, the alternate Eminem raps sitting on a bar stool.
The couple later go to a motel room and receive a knock on the motel door. Eminem goes to answer but no one is seen. Suddenly, he has a flashback
and starts to make sense of the cell phone, which showed 'Unknown caller', and a gun found in Grey's car along with the lighter and cigarette. He instantly goes to strangle his girlfriend, who suddenly disappears, leaving Eminem alone. He picks up Grey's pistol and shoots himself in the jaw, with blood spurting from the back of his head. This also affects the alternate Eminem, who is still in the roadside diner, similar to a voodoo doll effect. Eminem presumably dies at this point. This graphic scene is completely cut out in the UK MTV
airing, pro-longing several previous frames through slow motion
instead. The video then rewinds fast, from when Eminem shoots himself, to when the couple go to the diner. The beginning scene repeats itself and Eminem is picked up. They drive off to end the video.
, saying that Eminem was trying to depict the reality of relationships, that even the strongest of relationships can fall apart. "Eminem simply becomes company for [his girlfriend], and she mistakenly takes advantage of that." She said that the video could be interpreted "in many ways". Grey believed that the alternate Eminem who appears in the car is his subconscious.
Jonsin has explained what goes on in the "Space Bound" video. He suggested that viewers watch it multiple times to figure out the concept and draw their own conclusion. He called the video 'tricky', saying that the meaning is not obvious or completely clear in the video and one must watch it a few times to find it. Jonsin spoke about Eminem's two egos
seen in the video as well:
which includes Eminem's suicidal scene and the use of a gun for it. Jonsin dismissed the controversy surrounding the graphic suicidal scene, "Things happen in movies all the time...When my kids watch it, I like to explain to them in that manner: 'It's like a movie, ya know? He isn't really killing himself.'" The video was harshly criticized by anti-violence
campaigners in the United Kingdom. Anti-violence group, Mothers Against Violence, told the British Daily Mirror, "It's all about the money with these videos. Eminem isn't thinking about the families affected." The music video was both praised by fans and was noted for being rather graphic in nature. Before the music video's television premiere in July, editor Kathleen Perricone from the New York Daily News expressed her opinion on the censorship of the video, saying, "Despite the gruesome and violent nature, music networks like MTV and BET
have yet to ban the video—or even air it." Despite her doubt, the video aired in the UK, censored. MTV Adria
even aired the uncensored version of the video. This was confirmed five days before the video's release by Kahn.
MTV Czech
aired the uncensored version of the video as well, on July 19 at 22:50 CET. Josh Grossberg from E! News
reacted to the graphic suicide saying it "sounds like an Eminem video, all right." According to British newspaper The Sun, the song and its music video are similar to the controversial Eminem song, "Kim
" from The Marshall Mathers LP
. The video was noted as "another dark fantasy and uncomfortable offering from the rapper."
Critics made note of the "Space Bound" music video's similarities with the Kahn-directed "Love the Way You Lie", in which the couple was portrayed by actors. April Chieffo from The Celebrity Cafe said, "The video touches on the subject of domestic violence like 'Love the Way You Lie,' but this time there were deadly consequences." Rob Markman quoted about the death scene, "Throughout the video, Eminem follows Grey like a lost puppy. It's when they check into a motel room that the drama unfolds."
Personnel
Credits adapted from the digital booklet of Recovery.
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
from his seventh studio album, Recovery. In February 2011, "Space Bound" was announced to be released as the fourth single from Recovery. The song is produced by American hip-hop producer Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
. "Space Bound" features interpolations of "Drive
Drive (R.E.M. song)
"Drive" was the lead single and first track from R.E.M.'s eighth studio album Automatic for the People in 1992. Although it was not as successful as previous lead singles "Losing My Religion," "Stand," or "The One I Love" in the United States, it became R.E.M.'s then second biggest hit on the UK...
" by R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and "Song for Bob" by Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
and Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
.
The music video was shot in February 2011 by director Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas...
. It features model and former pornographic actress Sasha Grey
Sasha Grey
Sasha Grey is an American former pornographic actress, who has since turned to mainstream acting, modeling and music....
. The video was released to the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on June 24, 2011. It is about a couple in which the girlfriend, played by Grey, is secretly cheating on her boyfriend, Eminem. This turns into a violent conflict. The video shows two sides of Eminem, one who is calm and loves his girlfriend and one who is aggressive and doesn't. The music video received attention for a scene in which Eminem shoots himself in the head in frustration, with blood spurting from the wound.
Development
"Space Bound" was written by Eminem, British songwriter Steve McEwanSteve McEwan
Steve McEwan is a British-born hit songwriter, artist, and musician. His songs have been recorded by country music artists including Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill and Keith Urban...
, and Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
, the latter having produced the track with keyboards from Danny Morris. The chorus is sung by McEwan, who also provided guitars. The song was recorded by Robert Marks in Parkland Playhouse and Mike Strange and Joe Strange in Effigy Studios. It was mixed by Eminem, Mike Strange and Marks. In July of 2011, producer Jim Jonsin spoke about the making of the song and how its production came to be. He submitted a beat to Eminem for release on Recovery, not knowing if it was planned for official release as a single.
The song was complete with verses, b-section, and a chorus by McEwan. Most of the original version was recorded in New York on guitar, with a guitar vocal on an iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
. The concept was taken to Miami about three months later and was produced. The song was composed by McEwan and Jonsin. The chorus was used as a guide for writing the rapped verses. Eminem liked the song and its concept and wanted the sung verses removed and replaced with his own lyrics. "He had me strip down the verses [...] and make the track a little more hip hop, and he sent it out. I didn't really believe that it would end up on Eminem's album, let alone be a single." Jonsin spoke about the theme of the chorus in "Space Bound":
The chorus was based off of a chase, a guy who's chasing after a woman that he's crazy about, he loves her; she's everything to him. I'm a rocket ship aiming at her heart, her heart's the moon—I'm going full-on.
According to Jonsin, the hardest part of the making of the song was getting it to Eminem. Jonsin's manager suggested it get sent to Eminem, but was concerned that Eminem would not do anything with it. Jonsin also confirmed in the interview that he would be working on Eminem's next solo album.
Composition and reception
"Space Bound" is an alternative hip hopAlternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
song with influences of rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. It features an interpolation of "Drive
Drive (R.E.M. song)
"Drive" was the lead single and first track from R.E.M.'s eighth studio album Automatic for the People in 1992. Although it was not as successful as previous lead singles "Losing My Religion," "Stand," or "The One I Love" in the United States, it became R.E.M.'s then second biggest hit on the UK...
" by R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and "Song for Bob" by Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
and Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
. The guitars were provided by Steve McEwan and additional keyboards were by Danny Morris. The song begins with a very short acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
introduction, with Eminem beginning his verse right away. "We touch, I feel a rush/We clutch it isn't much/but it's enough to make me wonder what's in store for us." A few lines into the verse, the drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s start playing, when he says "Nobody knows me, I'm cold/Walked down this road all alone." The keyboards gain and eventually the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
plays, which is performed by Steve McEwan.
This structure is repeated for the next verse and chorus. Near the end of the third verse, Eminem shows aggression with lyrics suggesting domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, "I put both hands on your throat. I sit on top of you squeezing/'till I snap your neck like a Popsicle
Popsicle
Popsicle is the most popular brand of ice pop in the United States and Canada. The first ice pop was created by accident in 1905 when 11-year-old Frank Epperson left a cup of soda on his porch in cold weather overnight. The next morning he went to go get the soda and it was frozen, so he put two...
stick, ain't a possible reason..." Right at the end of the verse, a gunshot
Gunshot
A gunshot is the discharge of a firearm, producing a mechanical sound effect and a chemical gunshot residue. The term can also refer to a gunshot wound caused by such a discharge. Multiple discharges of a firearm or firearms are referred to as gunfire. The word can connotate either the sound of a...
is heard and Eminem sings the bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
, which shows grief and sorrow, "And I would've did anything for you/To show you how much I adored you." The chorus plays once more to end the song. Some lyrics are replaced this time; "And I'm aiming right at you, right at you" is replaced with "And I'm so lost without you, without you." The song ends here after the chorus. The full song is four and a half minutes long.
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
gave a negative review on Recovery as a whole and disliked "Space Bound". "Eminem can't talk to women and he never could, so when he threatens to strangle anyone who leaves him, the peril feels forced and wholly off-putting." AbsolutePunk writer Thomas Nassiff, in his review for Recovery, stated that "Space Bound", along with five other songs, were "pure filler" and "don't require more than one listen."
Development and release
A music video for "Space Bound" was filmed over three days in February 2011, in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and produced over approximately five months. The video was directed by Kahn, who previously directed Eminem's videos for "Without Me
Without Me
"Without Me" is a rap song by American rapper Eminem. It was released as the lead single from his fourth studio album titled The Eminem Show in 2002, and re-released on his greatest-hits compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits in 2005....
", "We Made You
We Made You
"We Made You" is a song by American hip hop musician Eminem. It was released as the first single from his sixth studio album Relapse on April 7, 2009. Produced by Dr. Dre and co-produced by Doc Ish and Eminem himself, the song samples "Hot Summer Nights" by Walter Egan. Eminem performed this song...
" and "Love the Way You Lie
Love the Way You Lie
"Love the Way You Lie" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his seventh studio album, Recovery . It was released as the album's second single on August 9, 2010, by Interscope-Geffen-A&M. The song features vocals by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. According to her, its theme...
". Photos of the video shooting were released and two low quality snippets of the then-unfinished video leaked. A large portion of the music video was shot at a roadside diner
Diner
A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
. On June 18, 2011, Kahn tweeted that the "Space Bound" video was finally complete and was to be released soon. The same day, Kahn tweeted,"When you see Space Bound, look for the uncensored version. You'll ruin it for yourself if you don't," confirming an uncensored version. Grey spoke about her acting and role in the video. "Before each take, Joseph and I would talk a lot about [my character's] motives and attitude. Her ultimate moment doesn't come until the end, so I had plenty of time to build the fear!" The music video stars Grey as the girlfriend of Eminem.
The full "Space Bound" video was released on June 24, 2011 at 5 PM EST for purchase on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, uncut. This same version later premiered on the music video website VEVO
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on Monday, June 27 at 12 AM PST. A heavily censored version of the music video premiered on television in the UK on MTV Rocks, on July 1, 2011, at 07:12 AM. As of four days after "Space Bound"'s VEVO premiere, the music video has more than 4 million views.
Synopsis
The music video for "Space Bound" starts with Eminem walking on a quiet road at night, near a forestForest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
. Shortly after, he gets picked up by his girlfriend (Grey). At this point, when Eminem gets into the car, there are two of him; there is one alone in the back seat, who is frustrated, paranoid and "hurling insults at Grey", and one sitting in the car next to Grey who is quiet, calm and in love. Grey takes out a lighter and cigarette to have a smoke. Shortly, the alternate Eminem disappears and the couple stop at a motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
/diner.
Eminem 'splits' into two once again as he enters the diner. This is done with the screen splitting midway. The original Eminem goes to sit with Grey in a table, while the other goes to sit on a bar stool. While the original Eminem and Grey are seated, Grey takes out her cell phone from her purse and sends a text message to an unknown person. She puts back the phone as she leaves to go to the restroom. While Grey is gone, Eminem curiously takes out Grey's phone to see what she did on it, leaving him in confusion. He quickly puts the phone back as Grey comes back. Meanwhile, the alternate Eminem raps sitting on a bar stool.
The couple later go to a motel room and receive a knock on the motel door. Eminem goes to answer but no one is seen. Suddenly, he has a flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
and starts to make sense of the cell phone, which showed 'Unknown caller', and a gun found in Grey's car along with the lighter and cigarette. He instantly goes to strangle his girlfriend, who suddenly disappears, leaving Eminem alone. He picks up Grey's pistol and shoots himself in the jaw, with blood spurting from the back of his head. This also affects the alternate Eminem, who is still in the roadside diner, similar to a voodoo doll effect. Eminem presumably dies at this point. This graphic scene is completely cut out in the UK MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
airing, pro-longing several previous frames through slow motion
Slow motion
Slow motion is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger....
instead. The video then rewinds fast, from when Eminem shoots himself, to when the couple go to the diner. The beginning scene repeats itself and Eminem is picked up. They drive off to end the video.
Concept
There is confusion surrounding the exact meaning and concept of the music video for "Space Bound". Grey explained her interpretation of the video to MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, saying that Eminem was trying to depict the reality of relationships, that even the strongest of relationships can fall apart. "Eminem simply becomes company for [his girlfriend], and she mistakenly takes advantage of that." She said that the video could be interpreted "in many ways". Grey believed that the alternate Eminem who appears in the car is his subconscious.
Jonsin has explained what goes on in the "Space Bound" video. He suggested that viewers watch it multiple times to figure out the concept and draw their own conclusion. He called the video 'tricky', saying that the meaning is not obvious or completely clear in the video and one must watch it a few times to find it. Jonsin spoke about Eminem's two egos
Ego (spirituality)
In spirituality, and especially nondual, mystical and eastern meditative traditions, individual existence is often described as a kind of illusion. This "sense of doership" or sense of individual existence is that part which believes it is the human being, and believes it must fight for itself in...
seen in the video as well:
It reminded me of Alanis MorissetteAlanis MorissetteAlanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
's 'Ironic' video, where she's got her and her two other egos in the car...I think it was him living in the now as a person going through it and him living as a person who is witnessing it and can make other choices to not be in that scenario. Maybe he would've chose differently, so now he's watching himself.
Reception and controversy
The music video caused attention by news reporters and fans for its high shock valueShock value
Shock value is the potential of an action , image, text, or other form of communication to provoke a reaction of disgust, shock, anger, fear, or similar negative emotions.-Shock value as humor:...
which includes Eminem's suicidal scene and the use of a gun for it. Jonsin dismissed the controversy surrounding the graphic suicidal scene, "Things happen in movies all the time...When my kids watch it, I like to explain to them in that manner: 'It's like a movie, ya know? He isn't really killing himself.'" The video was harshly criticized by anti-violence
Nonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
campaigners in the United Kingdom. Anti-violence group, Mothers Against Violence, told the British Daily Mirror, "It's all about the money with these videos. Eminem isn't thinking about the families affected." The music video was both praised by fans and was noted for being rather graphic in nature. Before the music video's television premiere in July, editor Kathleen Perricone from the New York Daily News expressed her opinion on the censorship of the video, saying, "Despite the gruesome and violent nature, music networks like MTV and BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
have yet to ban the video—or even air it." Despite her doubt, the video aired in the UK, censored. MTV Adria
MTV Adria
MTV Adria is a localized version of the music and entertainment channel MTV Europe, customized for the Balkan countries that used to be constituent parts of Yugoslavia...
even aired the uncensored version of the video. This was confirmed five days before the video's release by Kahn.
MTV Czech
MTV Czech
MTV Czech Republic is a 24 hour music and entertainment television channel which serves the Czech Republic and Slovakia.The channel launched on 29 November 2009 under a licensing agreement between MTV Networks Europe, a subsidiary of MTV Networks, owned by the current Viacom from its split of the...
aired the uncensored version of the video as well, on July 19 at 22:50 CET. Josh Grossberg from E! News
E! News
E! News, previously known as E! News Daily and E! News Live, is a nightly entertainment newsmagazine program airing on E!: Entertainment Television. The program debuted on September 1, 1991 and talks about Hollywood celebrities and gossip...
reacted to the graphic suicide saying it "sounds like an Eminem video, all right." According to British newspaper The Sun, the song and its music video are similar to the controversial Eminem song, "Kim
Kim (song)
"Kim" is a song by American rapper Eminem which appears on his 2000 album The Marshall Mathers LP. The song reflects intense anger and hatred toward Eminem's then-wife Kim Mathers...
" from The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP is the third studio album by American rapper Eminem. Released May 23, 2000, the album sold more than 1.76 million copies in its first week just in the US. In 2001, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and was nominated for Album of the Year...
. The video was noted as "another dark fantasy and uncomfortable offering from the rapper."
Critics made note of the "Space Bound" music video's similarities with the Kahn-directed "Love the Way You Lie", in which the couple was portrayed by actors. April Chieffo from The Celebrity Cafe said, "The video touches on the subject of domestic violence like 'Love the Way You Lie,' but this time there were deadly consequences." Rob Markman quoted about the death scene, "Throughout the video, Eminem follows Grey like a lost puppy. It's when they check into a motel room that the drama unfolds."
Credits and personnel
Recording- Recorded at: Effigy Studios in Ferndale, MichiganFerndale, MichiganFerndale is adjacent to the cities of Detroit to the south, Oak Park to the west, Hazel Park to the east, Pleasant Ridge to the north, Royal Oak Township to the southwest, and Royal Oak to the north....
, and Parkland Playhouse in Parkland, FloridaParkland, FloridaParkland is an city in Broward County, Florida, where zoning laws are designed to protect the "parklike" character of the city. Initially, there were no stores or traffic lights in Parkland, though this changed in the early 2000s. As of the 2010 census, the population of Parkland was 23,962...
.
Personnel
- Eminem – songwriter, audio mixerAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Steve McEwan – songwriter, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, additional chorus vocals - Jim Jonsin – songwriter, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, keyboardsMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the... - Mike Strange – recording, audio mixer
- Joe Strange – recording
- Rob Marks – recording, audio mixer
- Jason Wilkie – assistant engineering
- Matt Huber – assistant engineering
- Danny Morris – additional keyboards
Credits adapted from the digital booklet of Recovery.
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... ) |
51 |
| Poland (ZPAV Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... ) |
5 |
| Romania (Romanian Top 100 Romanian Top 100 The Romanian Top 100 is the national airplay-based singles chart of Romania. It is weekly and it started running in 1996. It is recognized as an official chart by the European division of Billboard, Music & Media.... ) |
65 |
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
19 |